56 replies to this topic

[Chris Ollis]

Ever thought about bringing props in to Moviestorm?
Annoyed by being stuck with just Sketchup files?
Have no fear, Chris is here with an easy to follow tutorial on using the easy and cheap 3d modelling tool Milkshape3d.

Grab the attached zip file for a full Tutorial in PDF format along with example 3d meshes and the relevant export files.

The tutorial teaches you how to take a 3d file (.3ds, .obj or .fbx format) in to Milkshape, adjust the textures, give it a skeleton, animate it and then export it. There is then a full description of setting up a prop in the Modders Workshop and how to get it on to set.

Fingers crossed no one will have any problems, I've kept the process as simple as possible.
And maybe some of you will take Milkshape even further and actually create your own assets from scratch with this wonderful little app - make sure you write some further tutorials and link them here

You will need to grab a copy of Milkshape from Chumbalumsoft here:
http://chumbalum.swi...d/download.html
You want the latest stable version - 1.8.4

Attached Files

•  Moviestorm_Cal3d_Milkshape.zip   941.74KB   475 downloads

[lucindamc123]

Wonderful. Thanks so much. Haven't played with Milkshape in a long time but as I remember it was not difficult. This is really going to help me do more of my movies with Moviestorm and since I have Sketchup 7 Pro, I can export obj files from there.

[squirrelygirl]

Chris, have I said lately that you are wickedawsome?

Thank you so much!

[luxaeternam]

Superb tutorial.

I am looking forward to what the community will come up with (as well as seriously wishing I could give up my day job! - now why didn't I marry a lawyer/surgeon/CEO/other ?)

cheers

Lux

[Armanus]

Awesome! Thanks Chris

[Fulkster]

...now this looks like just TOO much fun! Thanks, Chris!

[kv]

I`m gonna check this out, many thanks Chris

[Robear]

Very cool stuff!

I haven't played with Milkshape since my HalfLife days.

Thanks for the tutorial and files, Chris.

[Armanus]

I've downloaded milkshape and am going to try it. If it's easier then Blender and suits my needs, I'm going to adopt Chris as my Higher Power*







* this is as long as Chris doesn't demand any weird rituals to be carried out in his name. You have to draw the line somewhere.

[D.L. Watson]

This looks fantastic Chris! Thanks so much!

[primaveranz]

OMG! This just might be a dream come true......

When I get to this step however :-

Export to Cal3d

Skeleton

Always start with the skeleton.

Go to File/Export and find Cal3d in the long list (about 2/3 of the way down).

I can't find Cal3d anywhere in the list...
What didn't I do?

[Nahton]

OMG! This just might be a dream come true......

When I get to this step however :-

Export to Cal3d

Skeleton

Always start with the skeleton.

Go to File/Export and find Cal3d in the long list (about 2/3 of the way down).

I can't find Cal3d anywhere in the list...
What didn't I do?

Prima,

I did the same thing. Re-read the very beginning of the tute. There are 2 files in the zip that need to be copied to the Milkshape Program Files directory (msCal3D.dll and cal3d.dll).

You'll need to restart the program for the Cal option to appear.

Good Luck!

[primaveranz]

Damn! You mean there was a clue cunningly hidden in the words? How sneaky is that? I'm a boy I don't read instructions !
Thanks for pointing it out Nahton!

[Chris Ollis]

Damn! You mean there was a clue cunningly hidden in the words? How sneaky is that? I'm a boy I don't read instructions !
Thanks for pointing it out Nahton!

Does that bit need making bigger or clearer?


I'm glad people are liking this. Milkshape is a great little package that can do a surprisingly large amount of stuff. I hope some people sign up to it and take it further. Simple tutorials on box modelling would be very useful. And perhaps it would do a better job of video screen importing than Sketchup.
Just remember to invert your texture coordinates!

[primaveranz]

Does that bit need making bigger or clearer?

If by "that bit" you mean my brain, then yes

[Nahton]

I think I flunked Milkshape Modding 101. hActually I don't know if you could call it modding so much as following someone elses modding directions and apparently I can't do that. Admittedly, I so badly want to finish it I sat blurry eyed fighting off sleep in an attempt to create the Rotobot.

I think I lost it somewhere around the template directions where it says this:
"
To save setting up all the materials and meshes again you can simply click in the Parts window where it says
<EMPTY> and choose the Rotobot Part you previously set up."

Is that one step or short way of saying you have to go back and perform the step over and over for all materials and meshes.

I could see the Rotobot in the 3D window and I got the message saying it should be ready to use in MovieStorm but I couldn't find it in the props.

EDIT - Actually, I went back in and got it to appear in props. I kind of knew I was going to have another problem as somehow I didn't get the propeller to import into MS. I ended up getting an "animation not found error. I will give it another shot over the weekend.

[Chris Ollis]

I think I flunked Milkshape Modding 101.

Template - Yes, one step, if you've set up the Part you can just select it in the first panel when you choose "New Template" by default the panel just has the word <EMPTY>

If the Propeller didn't appear at all I would guess that when you exported the mesh you didn't select both Mesh Groups to export in Milkshape. You need to highlight the Body and the Prop before exporting the cmf file.

The Animation error sounds like either:
You didn't export the .caf
You didn't put the .caf in the Animations folder
You didn't type in the animation name in the Default Anim text box (after setting it to be Autoanimate)

[Chris Ollis]

Quick link

http://www.youtube.c...query=milkshape

Seems like there are loads of video tutorials for modelling in Milkshape on YouTube.

[lucindamc123]

Will we also be able to create characters with this and import them into Moviestorm. I know we probably can't have lip sync with them but my idea is that since I make custom created characters for my movies in Iclone 4, I can export them as obj files and go from there. It would really help me to be able to use these characters for those large action scenes where I have a lot of puppets and lots of props, like the city scene for example. Iclone can't do that really well. You get five animated characters on a set and have them talking and animated and it is terribly slow to render. I have spent all week rendering a scene that is shorter than 5 minutes in Iclone. I am not kidding. It is that slow. (that is why I am making so many sets and props -- I work in Sketchup while my scenes are rendering in Iclone). And since for The Man I have to use custom created characters, I have to use Iclone for those speaking parts but not for the action scenes.

[Nahton]

Success! Well, partially. I encountered a few glitches along the way.

For some reason in this attempt I had trouble selecting all the lines in the body. I had to use every view I could and change the perspective in to get them all except for 2 in the legs and one in the front. At least that's what it appeared to be from what I could see. Base on how the finished model came out I'd venture to guess I missed a few more.

It did import without an error though, so I made this demo:

Rotobot Demo

The other glitch I encountered was the propeller animation. It made a full rotation in Milkshape when I moved the slider but it only goes back and forth in MovieStorm.

Part of the problem I had in selecting lines was because I could not rotate the image with the left mouse button as it says in the instructions. I did try unchecking "Snap to Grid" and I stil couldn't change the angle.

Thanks for the responses and the tutorial links Chris. I haven't had a chance to look at them as yet. This is a great development for those inclined to learn how to use it. I think my first objective would be to start with something simpler such as bringing in a small prop and configuring the bones (is that right) so it could be held by an actor.

One example would be to bring in a model that looked like a Kindle or an e-reader and have it be able to be used in lieu of the caroler music sheet.

BTW - This line was throwing me off, mostly because I'm a nube modder (or direction reader):

To save setting up all the materials and meshes again you can simply click in the Parts window where it says...

I was clicking on the "Parts" folder instead of clicking the word "Rotobot" that I'd just added under the Template folder. I'm pretty sure you have to click on it and it doesn't highlight by default after you create it in order to see the word <EMPTY> in the "Parts" window below.